The Irish standard., 1887-07-23

away, when Ireland was reduced to the
ghasty tranquility of exhaustion and
despair, the Devon Commission report
was cast aside and Parliament ceased
to take any interest in ireland. The
gloomiest period in Irish history since
the Union was between 1850 and 1865.
Of course the efforts of the Tenant
League party must not be forgotten,
and the attempt to form an independent
opposition in the House of Commons
was a step in the right direction. But
the Tenant Leaguers were not able to
bring the British Minister to book;
they were not able tolnspire Parliament
with conciousness of their strength.
Immense credit is due to the Leaguers
for having tried at all to rally the
country when the shadows of famine
aud blasted hopes were yet upon the
land; and it is impos jble to speak too
highly Of the energy displayed by Gavan
Duffy and his colleagues in drawing to-
gether the North and South in a COM
mon struggle. But the League was
smashed by a
VILE COMBINATION OF IRISH TRAITORS
these men are sometimes called loyal
ists-and English Ministers. The
meanuess of English partiss-Whjg and
Tory-during those years cannot be
painted in colors too dark; and there is
no English statesman SO completely re-
sponsjhle for what happened as LORD
John Russell. While OConnell lived
Russell's Irish record was upon the
whole fairly respectable, more especially
between 1884 and 1885. But when the
great Tribune was no longer to the
front to press the willy Wing forward s.
great change took place. In the days
of the Melbourne Ministry Russell
strove to p,ess on Parliament remedial
measures for Ireland But from 1916
onwards, and especially from 1850 to
1858 his aim was TO try and corrupt the
Irish members, and by this cans to get
rid of the Irish question. There were
unfortunately rotten members in The
Irish Parliamentary party, and their
intrigues and treachery helped Russell's
game, and troro 1855 to 1870 it may al
most be said that Ireland ceased to have
any representation worthy OF the uama
in the Imperial Parliament. We have
now to state what is very serious fact,
but if the Irish question is ever to be
settled, facts must be stated fully, fairly
and fearlessly. ALI that happened in
connection with Feiiianism
HAD Il REvyvlFYlNG EFF ECT.
The state trials, the speeches from the
dock, the deaths on the scaff Id, the
principle Of self sacrifice preached and
practiced bv those men, did more for
Ireland than all the speeches and votes
of the Irish parliamentary representa-
tion from the death Of O'Connell to the
beginning of ths Home Rule movement.
This, OF course, is 81 very serious fact,
but it won't be made less serious by
suppressng it, and it can easily be put
to the test. Can any 'loyalist' tell us
of any great or good measure that was
passed for Ireland under the pressure of
constitutional movements, from 1917 to
1868? MIR. Bright can answer this qnes-
tion as we'll as anybody else, and here
is what he said i'll 1865 of English states
manship in Ireland from the time he
entered parliament up 10 that date: If
I go back to the ministers who have sat
on the treasury bench since l first came
into this house-Sir Robert Peel first,
then Lord John Russell, then Lord
Aberdeen, then Lord Derby, then Lord
Palmerston, then Earl RUSSELL say,
with regard to all these men, there has
not been any approach to anything that
history will describe as craftsmanship
on the part Of the En2lsh government
towards ireland. There were
COERCION ACTS IN ABUNDANCE;
Arms bills session after session; lamen-
tatjons like that Of the right honorable
gentleman the member for Bucking
hamshire (Mr. Disraeli) that the sus-
pension of the Habeas Corpus act WAS
not made perpetual by a clause which,
he laments, was repeal d. There have
been acts for the suspension of the
Habeas Corpus act like that which we
are discussing to night, but there has
been no craftsmanship. All history
teaches that it is not in human nature
that men should be centent under any
system of legislation and Of institutions
such as exists in Ireland" Men were
not content, anil Fenianism was the
result. Si"ce Fenianism the political
progress of ireland has been great. The
Established church is gone, the land
system is going, and there is to-day a
national movement of greater power
than has ever existed in the country.
1t is lamentable to reflect that all the
demands made by the Irish during the
past fifty years have been yielded to
force and not to justice. The horrible
record Of coercion alon, remains to test
the sort of legislation in which parlia-